Electrical lighting equipment for automobiles



Jan. 29, 1957 A. LAUTENBACHER ELECTRICAL LIGHTING EQUIPMENT FOR AUTOMQBILES Filed March 8, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 29, 1957 A. LAUTENBACHER 2,779,896

ELECTRICAL LIGHTING EQUIPMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 8, 1954 4 Sheets-Sues; 2

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ELECTRICAL LIGHTING EQUIPMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Filed March 8, 1954 4 Sheets5nee:t 3

llamas/TOR 5 J 6004 PH: 1 fiarzwsfiome HTTOR/VEY Jan; 29, 1957 Filed March 8, 1954 4 SheetsSn eet 4 .IZYVENTUR United States Patent i ELECTRICAL LIGHTING EQUIPMENT FOR AUTOMOBILES Adolphe Lautenbacher, Lure, France Application March 8, 1954, Serial No. 414,834

Claims priority, application France March 11, 1953 2 Claims. (Cl. 315-83) It is known that, in order to improve the lighting effect of head-lamps, it is becoming current practice to use relays which enable the Voltage at the lamp terminals to be increased and also eliminate the resistance of the various contacts which are usually included in the electric circuits supplying the head-lamps. However, in existing relays, only one of the filaments-in general that which provides the bright driving light-is subject to the improvement brought about by the relay. If it i desired to obtain the same improvement in the circuit of the dim driving light filament, it is necessary to provide a second relay, the connection of which, in an installation which already includes a first relay, gives rise to complications.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved relay which effects all the connection necessary for the correct supply of the bright driving light filament and the dim driving light filament of the headlamps.

The relay in accordance with the invention essentially includes, in combination with an automatic switch controlled by the dash-board switch, a group of two pairs of electro-magnet coils arranged in pairs on opposite ides of the said automatic switch and special supply lines for each of the said lighting circuits, connected to the various coils of the said group in such a way as to be supplied with current or not, depending on whether, under the control of the said automatic switch, the forces of attraction of the various coils are either balanced or unbalanced, in one sense or in the reverse sense.

Each of the coils of one of the pairs is connected at one of its ends to the existing line supplying the bright driving light filament, the second terminal of one of the coils being connected to the existing line supplying the dim driving light filament and the second terminal of the other coil is connected to the existing line supplying the parking light filament. Each of the coils of the other pair is connected by one of its terminals to the existing line supplying the dim driving light filament, the second terminal of one of the coils being connected to the existing line supplying the bright driving light filament and the second terminal of the other coil is connected to the existing line supplying the parking light filament.

A system of two pairs of coils of this kind acts in combination with a switch member connected to the supply battery and intended to establish between the various attracting coils diflerent circuits so arranged that the forces of attraction of the various coils are either balanced, or are unbalanced in one sense or in the reverse sense.

In accordance with a first form of embodiment, the switch member is constituted by a moving armature, con nected directly or indirectly to the accumulator battery and elastically mounted between the two pairs of coils, the connections of which are so arranged that the said armature is either maintained in its mean position of equilibrium, or it is attracted in one direction or in the reverse direction, depending on whether the forces of attraction due to the coils are themselves either balanced 2,779,896 Patented Jan. 29, 1957 or out-of-balance in one direction or in the reverse direction.

In accordance with a second form of embodiment, the moving armature mounted between two fixed contacts is replaced by a fixed contact, on each side of which is mounted an articulated system carrying contacts, which thus constitute moving contacts, of which either the one or the other is brought into contact with the fixed central contact in order to effect the closure of the corresponding circuit.

A further alternative form retains the two fixed contacts of the arrangement of the first form of embodiment, but the moving armature mounted between these contacts is replaced by an articulated or elastic system comprising two contacts, of which either one or the other moves to make contact with the corresponding fixed contact.

The improved circuit which forms the object of the invention is shown, by way of example, in the attached drawings:

Figure 1 is a circuit diagram of the first embodiment of the invention, with the circuit in an ofi condition.

Figure 2 is a circuit diagram of the first embodiment of the invention, with the circuit in condition for giving dim driving lights.

Figure 3 is a circuit diagram of the first embodiment of the invention, with the circuit in condition for giving bright driving lights.

Figure 4 is a circuit diagram of the first embodiment of the invention, with the circuit in condition for giving parking lights,

Figure 5 is a circuit diagram of a modification of the invention, with the circuit in an off condition.

Figure 6 is a circuit diagram of a modification of the invention, with the circuitin condition for giving dim driving lights.

Figure 7 is a circuit diagram of a modification of the invention, with the circuit in condition for giving bright driving lights.

Figure 8 is a circuit diagram of a modification of the invention, with the circuit in condition for giving parking lights.

Figure 9 is a view of an arrangement of the coils and contacts for the circuit shown in Figure 5.

Figure 10 is a view of a modified arrangement of the coils and contacts for the circuit shown in Figure 5.

*F-igure 11 is a view of another modified arrangement of the coils and contacts for the circuit shown in Figure 5.

On each of these circuit diagram-s, the lines shown in chain-dots are those parts of the circuits which are energized at that moment, the lines shown in full being the parts which are not energized. The supply lines II, III and IV correspond, respectively, to the dim driving light position (Figs. 2 and 6), bright driving light position ice (Figs. 3 and 7) and parking light position (Figs. 4 and 8).

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, the armature P is connected to the battery, either to the battery terminal of the make and'break switch or of the voltage-regulator (these components are not shown in the diagrams), or to any particular part of the line coming directly from the battery.

The coils A and B, as well as the contact E for the bright driving light position, are connected by one of their terminals to the existing line III which supplies the head-lamps (bright driving light condition).

The second terminal of the coil A is connected through contact F to the existing line II which supplies the head lamps (dim driving light condition) and the second terminal of the coil B is connected to the existing line IV which supplies the parking lights.

The coils C and D, as Well as the contact F for the dim driving light condition, are connected by one of their terminals to the existing line II which supplies the headlamps for the dim driving light condition.

The second terminal of the coil C is connected through contact E to the existing line III (bright driving light condition) and the second terminal of the coil D is connected to the existing line IV which supplies the parking lights.

In the position shown in Fig. l, the armature I the dash-board or selector switch K and the special supply line LS are the only parts of the circuits energized.

In the position shown in Fig. 2, the dash-board or selector switch K has energized the existing line II supplying the dim driving light filaments which naturally lightup, but the coils C and D have also been energized and attract the armature P to make contact with the dim driving light contact F, in spite of the coil A, since the coil B is not energized and the special supply line LS is thus put into service on the dim driving light circuit.

In the position shown in Fig. 3, the dash-board switch K energizes the existing line III supplying the bright driving light filaments and these filaments light-up as did the dim driving light filaments previously. The coils A and B attract the armature against the contact E, in spite of the coil C, since the coil D is not energized; the special supply line LS is then put into service on the line III (bright driving light condition).

In the position shown in Fig. 4, the dash-board switch K has energized the existing line IV which supplies the parking lights. The action of the coils A and C then ceases, the coils B and D are energized, but exert the same attraction on the armature P, which remains between the two contacts E (bright driving light) and F (dim driving light).

It is to be noted that, when the dash-board switch K cuts-elf the lighting, either for the bright driving light or for the dim driving light, current continues to pass in these lines in spite of this interruption. armature I which is attracted either to the contact E or to the contact F, continues to supply the corresponding coils over the special supply line which has not been opened.

Only the changing-over to the parking lights position removes the voltage from the coils A or C; the armature is in this case attracted equally by B and D and takes up a position between the contacts E and F.

It is then possible, by changing over the dash-board switch K to the off position, to remove the voltage from the whole of the lines II, III, IV, all the coils being also outof service.

It is self-evident that the term pair of coils is used inditferently to refer to two separate coils or one single coil with two windings.

In accordance with the alternative form shown in Figs. to 9, only one contact P is fixed and the two movable contacts E and F are arranged on opposite sides of the contact P, on an articulated system comprising two arms pivotally mounted respectively on the axes O1 and O2 and coupled to each other by a spring R (Figure 9). Depending on the predominance of the attraction of the one or the other of the pairs of coils AB, CD, the one or the other of the contacts E, F comes into contact with the fixed contact P, the spring R tending to maintain out of contact the contact which has not been attracted.

. In accordance with the alternative form shown in Fig. 10, the contacts E and F are fixed, as in the case of the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but the single contact P is replaced by two P1 and P2, respectively, mounted on the extremity of arms which are both pivotally mounted on the axis 01. Alternatively the contacts could be mounted on a pair of spring blades fixed at O. In the In fact, the

il case of rigid pivoted arms, spring (not shown) tends to return each of the contacts to the out-of-contact position.

A further form of embodiment of this second alternative is shown in Fig. 11, the two contacts P1 and P2 are mounted at the two ends of a single rigid bar pivoted at its mid-point O; in this case, no restoring spring is necessary, the attraction applied to one of the contacts serving to move the opposite contact out of contact.

What I claim is:

l. in an electrical circuit for actuating the bright, dim or parking lights of an automobile, the combination comprising: an energizing line connected to each of said bright, dim and parking light filaments, a relay, said relay having an armature and a first and second pair of relay coils, said first pair of coils acting on said armature in a direction opposite to said second pair of coils, a pair of armature contacts, one of said contacts being connected to said bright light energizing line, the other of said contacts being connected to said dim light energizing line, a selector switch alternatively connectable to one of said energizing lines, a source of constant potential, one of the terminals of said source being connected to the common pole of said selector switch, said terminal also being connected to said armature; circuitry responsive to connection of said selector switch to the bright light energizing line energizing said coils for causing said armature to contact the armature contact which is in circuit with said bright light energizing line, circuitry responsive to connection of said selector switch to the dim light energizing line energizing said coils for causing said armature to contact the armature contact which is in circuit with saiddim light energizing line and circuitry responsive to connection of said selector switch to parking light energizing line energizing said coils for causing said armature to be out of contact with said armature contacts.

2. In an electrical circuit for actuating the bright, dim or parking lights of an automobile the combination comprising: an energizing line connected to each of said bright, dim and parking light filaments, a relay, said relay including an armature, a first and second pair of relay coils, said first pair of coils acting on said armature in a direction opposite to said second pair of coils each coil in said first pair of coils having one of its terminals connected to said bright light energizing line, the other terminal of one coil of said first pair of coils being connected to said parking light energizing line, the other terminal of the other coil of said first pair of coils being connected to said dim light energizing line, each coil in said second pair of coils having one of its terminals connected to said dim light energizing line, the other terminal of one coil of said second pair of coils being in circuit with said parking light energizing line, the other terminal of the other coil of said second pair of coils being connected to said bright light energizing line, a selector switch alternatively connectible to one of said energizing lines, a pair of armature contacts, one of said contacts being in circuit with said bright light energizing line, the other of said contacts being in circuit with said dim light energizing line, a source of constant potential, one of the terminals of said source being connected to said selector switch, said terminal also being connected to said armature.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,110,221 Hamilton Mar. 8, 1938 2,220,100 Hack Nov. 5, 1940 2,223,251 Hack NOV. 26, 1940 

